Flag standard

ABSTRACT

A stand intended for holding the staff or shaft of a flag including a truncated hemi-spherical body member having a cylindrical bore formed integrally therein and opening out of the top surface thereof with a socket formed concentric therewith, the bottom of the bore being of an inverted conical configuration such that shafts of various diameters may be secured in the bore concentric therewith to project vertically out of the stand, the socket having securing means associated therewith and adapted to be operated by finger pressure of an individual&#39;&#39;s fingers to tighten the same against the shaft to secure the same in the stand, the colors of the stand being the same as the color of the flag being displayed. Further, there may be provided pointed rods formed integrally with the bottom surface of the stand and projecting vertically downwardly therefrom adapted to be driven into the ground for stabilizing the stand in a selected position.

United States Patent [191 Reisling FLAG STANDARD ['76] Inventor: David Charles Reisling, 614

Western Ave., Mingo Junction, Ohio 43938 [22] Filed: Oct. 9, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 404,410

[52] US. Cl. 248/44, 248/156 [51] Int. Cl. F16m 13/00 [58] Field of Search 248/44, 156, 206 R362 [56 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 901,761 10/1908 Weber ..248/156 UX Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz 51 Oct. 22, 1974 7] ABSTRACT A stand intended for holding the staff or shaft of a flag including a truncated hemi-spherical body member having a cylindrical bore formed integrally therein and opening out of the top surface thereof with a socket formed concentric therewith, the bottom of the bore being of an inverted conical configuration such that shafts of various diameters may be secured in the bore concentric therewith to project vertically out of the stand, the socket having securing means associated therewith and adapted to be operated by finger pressure of an individuals fingers to tighten the same against the shaft to secure the same in the stand, the colors of the stand being the same as the color of the flag'being displayed. Further, there may be provided pointed rods formed integrally with the bottom surface of the stand and projecting vertically downwardly therefrom adapted to be driven into the ground for stabilizing the stand in a selected position.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing, Figures 1. FLAG STANDARD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to stands and more particularlyto a novel and improved stand for holding a flagin a displayed position.

2. Description of the Prior Art i There are many occasions throughout the year when it is desired to display a flag of one type or another, such display normally being accomplished through the use of a flag standard which must be made of a heavy metal, such as brass or steel, to provide the required stand stability, with such stands thus being expensive to purchase and difficult to handle due to the weight thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention remedies and overcomes the foregoing deficiencies and disadvantages of presently available flag standards by providing a novel flag stan dard which is lightweight and which isadaptedto firmly hold the flag shaft in a manner to display'the flag.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a flag standard which is of a light weight, rugged and durable construction and which will securely hold a flag in a position to be displayed without requiring any external supports, attachments or the like.

A further feature of the present invention provides a flag stand of a decorative appearance which is multicolored to depict the colors of the flag being displayed.

Still a further feature of the present invention provides a flag standard which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods.

Yet still a further feature of the present invention provides a flag standard which is aesthetically pleasing and refined in appearance; which maybe manufactured of a plastic material; one which is adapted to accept flag staffs therein of various diameters within a reasonable range of sizes; and one which, otherwise, is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production of the present invention.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the flag standard; and FIG. 4. is a cross-sectional view of the flag standard taken along Line 44 of FIG. 1 and illustrating a first flag staff of a first diameter in solid line configuration and a second flag staff of a lesser diameter in phantom line configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a preferred form of aflag standard constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10, the flag standard being manufactured out of metal, wood, hard rubber, plastic or any other suitable satisfactory material which is aesthetically pleasing and refined in appearance. The preferred embodiment of the flag standard 10 in order to maintain the light weight and inexpensive nature thereof along with providing sufficient strength and durability thereto would be to fabricate the stand from polypropylene plastic which is available in a number of attractive colors, or alternatively, a urethaneplastic may be utilized.

The flag standard 10 includes abase member 21 whichis illustrated as a truncated hemispherical memher having side surfaces 22, horizontal bottom surface 23, and horizontal top surface 24. However, it is to be understood that the member 21 may also be formed in the shape of a truncated cone as envisioned within the principles of the present invention. Formed integrally with the top surface 24 and projecting outwardly concentric with [the member 21 from top surface 24 is an open ended hollow cylindrical socket 25 having its bottom end 26 formed integrally with the top surface 24 and having its top end 27 projecting axially outwardly of the member 21. A cylindrical bore 31 is defined within socket 25 and extends completely therethrough in axial alignment with a cylindrical bore 32 formed in member 21 of the same diameter as bore 31, the bore 32 terminating at the bottom end thereof in the form of an inverted hollow cone shaped surface 33 disposed concentric with bore 32 and projecting downwardly therefrom with the apex 34 thereof disposed adjacent bottom surface 23.

The socket 25 includes cylindrical side walls 41 which have extending therethrough. at spaced circumferal points thereabout threaded radially extending openings 42 each adapted to receive therein the threaded elongated shank 43 of a fastener 44 having an enlarged flattened head portion 45 adapted to be engaged between the forefinger and thumb of an individuals hand in a manner to rotate the fastener about its axis to move the inner shank end 46 inwardly or outwardly from the bore 31.

The bottom surface 23 is provided with a plurality of angularly spaced apart pointed ended rods 51 which extend vertically downwardly therefrom and are adapted to be driven into the ground surface 52 in a manner to firmly secure the flag standard 10 in a selected position on the ground.

The side surface 22 of the base member 21 is decorated in colors depicting the color of the flag being displayed which, in the present instance, includes the colors of red 61, white 62, and blue 63 disposed in horizontal strips about the base which depicts the colors of the flag 65 suitably attached by fasteners 66 to the top end portion 67 of a flag staff or shaft 68 having a bottom end portion 69 secured in the flag standard 10.

In operation, the flag standard 10 is positioned in the desired location on the ground 52 after which it is pressed vertically downwardly to engage rod 51 in the ground 52 until bottom surface 23 rests on the top level surface of the ground, after which ,the bottom end portion 69 ofa flag staff 68 is axially inserted into the aligned bores 31 and 32 until the bottom end 70 of the flag staff engages the conically tapered side walls 33, after which fasteners 44 are rotated about their axis until their inner ends 46 engage the side walls of the flag staff to fixedly secure the flag staff firmly to the flag standard. in this regard, it is to be noted that flag staffs of various diameters up to the maximum diameter of the bore 31 may be supported in the flag standard 10, the manner of such support being generally illustrated by the phantom configuration flag staff 80 having a bottom end 81 which, due to the conical surface 33, the bottom end 81 tends to seat itself concentric of the base member 21 in the aligned bores 31 and 32, after which the fasteners 44 are adjusted to maintain the concentric alignment of the flag staff 80 such that the flag staff projects vertically upwardly from the flag standard.

it is to be understood that the flag standard may be provided without the rods 51 for use on a smooth surface, such as concrete, asphalt, and the like, and in such cases the width of the bottom surface 23 of the base member 21 is sufficient to provide a stable base for the support of the flag 65 and flag staff 68.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. A flag standard intended for receiving and holding a flag staff having a flag attached thereto in a display position, comprising a truncated hemi-spherical base member having hemi-spherical side surfaces, a horizontally extending top surface; a hollow open ended cylindrical socket member formed integrally with the base member on the top surface thereof and disposed concentric with the base member, the top outermost end of the socket member projecting axially outwardly of the top surface of the base member; a cylindrical bore extending through the socket member concentric with the axis of the base member; a cylindrical bore'disposed inwardly of the base member in axial alignment with the socket cylindrical bore and in communication therewith through the top surface of the base member, the base member cylindrical bore terminating in an inverted conical hollow configuration having the apex thereof terminating along the axis of the base member in a position adjacent the bottom surface of the base member; a plurality of circumferally spaced apart radially extending internally threaded openings spaced about the side walls of the socket member and extending radially therethrough; a plurality of fastener means, each fastener means associated with one of the threaded openings and adapted to be threadedly engaged therein in a manner to project into or be withdrawn from the socket member cylindrical bore depending upon the direction of rotation of the fastener means about its axis, the innermost ends of each of the fastener means adapted to frictionally engage the side walls of a flag staff inserted into the socket member; the bottom end of the flag staff engaging the interior coni cal surface of the bottom of the base member cylindrical bore in a manner to seat the flag staff concentrically of the base member; and a plurality of rod members formed integrally with the base member and extending vertically downwardly from the bottom surface thereof, each of the rod members having a pointed outermost projecting end adapted to assist the rod members in penetrating a ground type surface into which they are adapted to be inserted, the rod members being spaced equally about the base member bottom surface in positions disposed a slight radial distance inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface such that the rods may be driven into a ground surface until the base surface engages the ground surface to thus firmly and securely maintain the base member in the desired location with the desired stability for displaying a flat therefrom.

2. The flag standard as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the fastener means comprises an elongated threaded shank portion having an inner end adapted to be threadedly inserted into the associated opening in thesocket side wall and having an outer end terminating in an integrally formed enlarged flattened head portion adapted to be grasped between the forefinger and thumb of an individuals hand in a manner to effect the rotation of the shank in either direction about its axis to effect the movement of the inner end of each shank into and out of the socket bore for retaining and releasing a flag staff therein.

3. The flag standard as set forth in claim 2 wherein member. 

1. A flag standard intended for receiving and holding a flag staff having a flag attached thereto in a display position, comprising a truncated hemi-spherical base member having hemispherical side surfaces, a horizontally extending top surface; a hollow open ended cylindrical socket member formed integrally with the base member on the top surface thereof and disposed concentric with the base member, the top outermost end of the socket member projecting axially outwardly of the top surface of the base member; a cylindrical bore extending through the socket member concentric with the axis of the base member; a cylindrical bore disposed inwardly of the base member in axial alignment with the socket cylindrical bore and in communication therewith through the top surface of the base member, the base member cylindrical bore terminating in an inverted conical hollow configuration having the apex thereof terminating along the axis of the base member in a position adjacent the bottom surface of the base member; a plurality of circumferally spaced apart radially extending internally threaded openings spaced about the side walls of the socket member and extending radially therethrough; a plurality of fastener means, each fastener means associated with one of the threaded openings and adapted to be threadedly engaged therein in a manner to project into or be withdrawn from the socket member cylindrical bore depending upon the direction of rotation of the fastener means about its axis, the innermost ends of each of the fastener means adapted to frictionally engage the side walls of a flag staff inserted into the socket member; the bottom end of the flag staff engaging the interior conical surface of the bottom of the base member cylindrical bore in a manner to seat the flag staff concentrically of the base member; and a plurality of rod members formed integrally with the base member and extending vertically downwardly from the bottom surface thereof, each of the rod members having a pointed outermost projecting end adapted to assist the rod members in penetrating a ground type surface into which they are adapted to be inserted, the rod members being spaced equally about the base member bottom surface in positions disposed a slight radial distance inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface such that the rods may be driven into a ground surface until the base surface eNgages the ground surface to thus firmly and securely maintain the base member in the desired location with the desired stability for displaying a flat therefrom.
 2. The flag standard as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the fastener means comprises an elongated threaded shank portion having an inner end adapted to be threadedly inserted into the associated opening in the socket side wall and having an outer end terminating in an integrally formed enlarged flattened head portion adapted to be grasped between the forefinger and thumb of an individual''s hand in a manner to effect the rotation of the shank in either direction about its axis to effect the movement of the inner end of each shank into and out of the socket bore for retaining and releasing a flag staff therein.
 3. The flag standard as set forth in claim 2 wherein the socket member, base member and projecting rods are integrally formed of a plastic material.
 4. The flag standard as set forth in claim 3 wherein the hemi-spherical side wall surfaces of the base member include horizontally disposed side-by-side stripes in the colors of red, white, and blue extending completely between the top surface and bottom surface of the base member. 